A/N: Hello! This is my first time writing an Aldnoah Zero fanfic and I hope the rest of the fandom bear with my writing. I just didn't like the ending of both the first and the second cour, or the second cour all together. In an attempt to make myself feel better, there you go. I hope you enjoy it!

Edit: Yup, I edited it since I seem to have the wrong information about Dr. Yagarai. I assumed he would be Lt. Marito's age but I guess was wrong. Heh. Don't look for my mistake, you won't find it anymore! Well, besides the grammatical ones. Can't guarantee lacking those even if I tried.

BTW, thanks to my first reviewer, JustADamFrenchFry. Honestly, I didn't expect such a fast feedback, with the size of the fandom and all, but it's well appreciated! The next chapter is coming soon so don't leave me hanging, k?

Chapter I

Words flew out of his head frantically, the question of the orange Kataphrakt's pilot hanging in the air as a plethora of thoughts assaulted his brain. The past week had not been a very pleasant experience to him, what with the emotional roller coaster that came with the princess's visit to earth. He had felt sadness and grief when she boarded the shuttle that took her down to this blue planet only to get assassinated, and her false death left him feeling empty. Finding out she was still alive, while gave him relief and happiness, only made him suspicious and a traitor to Vers. The conspiracy had been a challenge to his mental and emotional resolve, the complicacy of the war even more so. And now this robotic emotionless Terran was stretching his patience by questioning his intention and loyalty to the princess.

He scrunched his forehead and scowled, rationality flying out the window when he deigned to sink in desperation and demanded, "Take me to see her Highness."

It should have occurred to him that he was in no position to demand anything. Sure he had an advantage over Orange with him carrying his Kataphrakt, but not even the sky carrier could stand up to an Aldnoah powered battleship the Terrans now possessed with the help from the princess.

A second passed before Orange replied, his voice calm and flat, "Answer my question first."

Slaine gritted his teeth contemptuously, shifting controls to direct his weapons towards his uncompliant passenger. His patience was wearing thin and he had none to spare for Orange's psychological games. He had finally found the princess, he was not about to lose her again.

"Are you trying to exploit her too?" he hissed, venom rolling on his tongue. He was getting tired of people trying to use his princess. She was so kind and innocent; getting exploited was more than she ever deserved.

A pregnant pause emanated from the other end of the transmission. Slaine held his breath. Whatever Orange's answer, it would be the deciding factor of their temporary alliance.

"If she is exploited, is that a problem?" Apathetic and stolid. Slaine couldn't tell what the man was gunning after even though his voice rasped clearly from his speakers.

Maybe it was his irritating toneless voice, maybe his patience has had enough, maybe it was the implication of his words that pushed Slaine to attack him. However, he had clearly underestimated Orange. He fired first; three rounds before his adversary returned a single fire yet he was the one plummeting to the ground, his monitors flashing red to indicate the damage to his left wing. Orange even used his sky carrier to stabilize his landing when he jumped off, and it only succeeded to enrage Slaine.

Slaine thought a long litany of curses. "Why!... Are you my enemy?!" he asked in anguish as the Vers tactical transport went out of control. It was in vain. He knew he shouldn't have trusted that damn Orange.

"You... are my enemy," was the reply. Ever impassive and unreadable, but this time with something akin to passion.

It was the last thing that registered in Slaine Troyard's brain before he impacted the sea, a large splash submerging his aircraft in water. Resentment was the least of what he felt before he slowly lost consciousness. Only regret that he had not the chance to see his princess, his savior, at least one last time.

Teal orbs blinked in the darkness, his lashes fluttering to ward off the fogginess that blurred his vision. The first thing he noted was the pain; pain all over his body, his chest particularly, and the dryness of his throat. His head pounded with every tick of the clock somewhere inside the room he's in, and he had the distinct impression in his mind that he had gone deaf, salt was poured through his nose, and his eyes were gauged out. Panic slivered up his spine and he instinctively bolted up from his position, the action only intensifying everything. He fell back on the relatively soft bed with a pained grunt.

Someone must have been in the room, because suddenly, the light flickered to life.

"I see you're already awake," he heard a voice said. It came from a bespectacled man in his late twenties. Slaine glanced at him as he shoved the white curtain that devided his portion of the room to the side.

"Wh... Where am I?" His voice sounded hoarse even to himself. He moved to sit up again and the man dutifully helped him, noticing that his left wrist was cuffed to the bed. He gladly accepted the offered glass of water with his free hand when he finally did so. Judging by the white coat, the man was clearly a doctor.

"You are currently in an infirmary, aboard the Deucalion," he answered with a humoring smile as he checked his heartbeat with his stethoscope. "How are you feeling?"

Slaine back tracked. "I... I guess I feel fine. A bit painful here and there," he replied, still confused.

The doctor put aside his stethoscope and flashed his eyes with a small light and inspected it. "Well, that is to be expected since you hit the water quite hard," he supplied with a bit of amusement. "Do you remember what happened before you lost consciousness?"

Slaine paused, and then he remembered. He remembered stealing the sky carrier from Count Crutheo's landing castle, the search for the apparently still alive princess, the fight with Countess Femianne's Kataphrakt, Hellas, and... Orange. Orange who shot him down. He felt himself scowl at the memory.

"With that face, I guess it is safe to assume that you do remember," the doctor said, humming as he wrote his findings on a clipboard. "There seemed to have no damage on your head and your memory appear to be intact. Your ribs have been broken due to the impact from the water but your lungs had not been punctured, fortunately enough. The rest of the pain are just minor bruises that are due to heal in a few days," he informed his young charge. "With plenty of rest and a healthy diet, you are sure to recover in no time."

"I see," was Slaine's feedback, his brain not quite catching up. He had been so used to being sneered at and looked down upon that the doctor's kindness and casual tone had taken him aback. "May I ask again where I am?"

"The Deucalion. The flying battleship built in Tanegashima, customized with an Aldnoah drive back from Heaven's fall. The princess of Vers' unexpected presence had been a blessing. It was her who powered the ship's Aldnoah drive," he said.

Slaine's eyes widened.

The princess! Princess Asseylum is here!

"You mean...?" he wondered out loud. "But... Orange..." Slaine felt pathetic for not being able to voice his thoughts.

"Orange?" the doctor asked inquisitively, confusion marring his face. "Oh, you mean the Sleipnir. Its pilot was the one to retrieve you, so if you ever have to thank someone, it would be him," he said with a smile. "He would no doubt visit later. You can do so then."

"I don't understand," Slaine said, his voice barely a whisper and his eyes downcast. Why? He clearly heard Orange say he's an enemy, so why did he save him? He lifted his hand to touch his head but was refrained by the cuff.

"That is just a military protocol," was what he heard the doctor say by way of an explanation, "for both our safety, of course. We do not know yet where your loyalty lies, after all." He was smiling, making Slaine second guess if the doctor find him a threat or was just amused. "My name is Soma Yagarai, by the way. You can call me Dr. Yagarai. I'm the Deucalion's physician, although I actually specialized in surgery and behavioral science. I understand we're going to see each other quite often so it would be better to be familiar."

"I am Slaine Troyard," Slaine replied, a small smile now on his lips. "Despite the circumstances, it is a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Yagarai."

Dr. Yagarai hummed appreciatively. "A polite young man, quite so for someone from the proud planet of Mars."

Slaine dipped his head, embarrassment and dejection shadowing his face. "I am earth born. My father and I crash landed on Vers five years ago, and I had lived there since then."

"That explains a lot of things," the older man said. He pushed his glasses up his nose with his forefinger, a placating smile plastered on his lips. "There is no need to be ashamed, Slaine. After all, no matter how much those Martians insist on being superior, at the end of the day, we are all just human; we live and we die, that is all there is to it."

Slaine was again, taken aback. He could barely remember his life on earth from his childhood so it came as a surprise to him how the Terrans view the people of Vers. He had listened or overheard quite a number of resentful and venomous conversations about the 'earthlings' more than he could care to count during his stay both on Vers and in Count Crutheo's landing castle; how childish and immature those sound to him now.

"Why don't you rest while I look after my other patients? Here, let me help you," the doctor said after finishing the rest of his examination on Slaine. He helped the young man lay back on the bed to avoid straining his ribs, and then tugging the blanket to his shoulders. "I'll check on you again later and deliver your food so you don't have to worry about a thing, okay?"

Slaine nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Yagarai, for everything," Slaine muttered, his eyes slowly fluttering close now that he realized how sleepy he was.

The doctor must have nodded since he did not give any reply. He heard the curtain closing, and then the light was once again turned off. Before he drifted off to the land of dreams, he felt himself smile.

Don't forget to review! Thanks for reading!

Chapter 2: A Handmaiden's Duty

A\N: Look who's back! Hehe, sorry for the delay. I've not watched Aldonah Zero for so long that I've forgotten I have a pending story here. Besides, my laptop broke down and I couldn't write anymore. I'm a poor student still dependent on my parents. I couldn't afford to buy another one for the next two years or so. This story would be very slow in updating but I'll do my best to catch up.

I've decided to write every chapter in different PoV's. Last chapter was Slaine's, this one is Eddelritto's (have I spelled that wrong?). It's a little short but it would have to do. I'll try to make the next one longer. Bear with me please.

A shout out to everyone who read/reviewed/followed/faved this story. Thank you so much for your patronage (and patience, if ever you're still waiting for an update after so long).

Disclaimer: All names and places and events you could recognize from the Aldnoah Zero franchise is clearly not mine and I lay no claim to it. I gain no profit or any form of benefit from this except the mere fuzzy feeling of providing entertainment to the few denizens of the internet realm and reading their reviews and constructive criticisms. Please don't sue me.